Park Forest elections wind down without traditional grunts, snorts and hoots from forum audiences
Nothing is what it once was, and that includes elections in Park Forest. The once vibrant, democratic and sometimes hostile candidate forums leading up to voting day are gone this year.
We lost a lot during the last 13 months of pandemic.
Some lost contact with friends and family members through COVID19 and fear of contagion from the virus. Others lost jobs and a few lost hope. We changed plans and adjusted lifestyles. We decided to hunker down instead of going out yet we griped when our masks worn for safety fogged our glasses.
Nothing is what it once was, and that includes elections in Park Forest. The once vibrant, democratic and sometimes hostile candidate forums leading up to voting day are gone this year. For decades, these public meetings attracted large crowds and numerous questions. This year, these sessions were first on Zoom (until a malicious creep decided to spray the site with malevolent thoughts) and then on the village’s secure website.
Without an audience, the local Non-Partisan Committee, the 68-yearold group that conducts these sessions, asked that all questions be sent in advance, eliminating interaction between candidates and audience.
Six candidates are running for three seats on the Village Board. Theresa Settles and Maya Hardy are incumbents. Others are Elementary District 163 Board member Judy Hawthorne, perennial candidate JeRome Brown, newcomers Erin Slone and Joshua Travis. The latter worked hard for current Mayor Jon Vanderbilt’s election two years ago and, in response to a question whether he would be “in the mayor’s back pocket” if elected, said he would be an independent voice.
Candidates answered questions about economic development (all were in favor) taxes (no one said they wanted more) and interaction between the village and its residents (more is better). Missing in all these electronic forums were the often critical grunts, snorts and hoots by audience members that were part of live sessions.
There are two Democratic slates running for Rich Township offices. Township Supervisor Al Riley’s Integrity Party is battling Calvin Jordan’s Rich Township First party. Earlier this year, Riley thought a split in party unity would “open the door” for Republicans. However, Republicans in the township are like endangered Asian elephants, often mentioned but seldom seen.
Each succeeding election in Park Forest seems to take on a more bizarre aspect as civil discourse gets lost in the shuffle.
It depends on who you want to believe, and I was not there, but last Friday afternoon Therese Goodrich, running for reelection as a Rich Township Trustee (Rich Township First Party) had a forearm match with an elected official handing out voter information in front of the Park Forest Village Hall during early voting.
At issue was a small red card that named her as one of 12 candidates for public office promoted by “citizens for better government.” Goodrich, who objected to the card before, saying she did not give anyone permission to recommend her, asked for the card. She said she was told by District 163 Board member Randall White that she could not have one and when Goodrich tried to take the card forearm shoves were exchanged. No blood was shed, but on his Facebook page White said he called police, claiming the 86-year-old Goodrich “assaulted” him.
No one was arrested. When I asked to see the card, I also was told by White “you can’t have it.” No problem, I picked up one near a trash bin.
Those other 11 endorsements on the card were for two candidates running for village trustee, four people running for District 163 Board, three candidates for the library board, two being write-ins. There are also two endorsements for write-in candidates for Rich Township High School District 227.
There seems to be almost as many write-in office seekers as there people on the ballot. All will shake out, hopefully for the better, after next Tuesday’s election.
Jet-ting along
It has been 16 months since free Thanksgiving turkeys were distributed in front of a proposed Jet Foods store in Park Forest’s Orchard West Plaza. Given the lingering effects of the pandemic the last year, we can assume nothing more was done because nothing more could be done.
It is heartening to see new “coming soon” signs decorating the site of a proposed site and when last observed the dumpster near the front door was overflowing with rubbish. Also encouraging was an online post from the company now saying it expects the store to be open sometime this summer.
As they say, hope springs eternal.